{"id":12375,"date":"2022-08-31T20:50:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T20:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/?p=12375"},"modified":"2023-06-14T13:06:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T13:06:04","slug":"new-study-finds-frozen-sperm-is-as-effective-as-fresh-for-iui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/resources\/new-study-finds-frozen-sperm-is-as-effective-as-fresh-for-iui\/","title":{"rendered":"New study finds frozen sperm is as effective as \u201cfresh\u201d for IUI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the largest study<\/a> of its kind, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have determined that cryopreserved, or frozen, sperm<\/a> is just as effective as \u201cfresh\u201d sperm in intrauterine insemination<\/a> (IUI) procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings, presented by researcher Dr. Panagiotis Cherouveim, are likely attributed to improvements in sperm freezing techniques, and are an update to previous research<\/a> that deemed frozen sperm slightly less effective for IUI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new study should provide reassurance to those who are considering sperm freezing as a way to protect their ability to have children later, as well as those who are using frozen sperm from a sperm donor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Studying fresh vs. frozen sperm <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the 2022 study<\/a>, Cherouveim and his colleagues analyzed 5,335 intrauterine insemination cycles performed at his center between 2004 and 2021. Intrauterine insemination<\/a>, or IUI, is a fairly simple procedure in which sperm is \u201cwashed\u201d and placed directly inside the uterus during ovulation, helping sperm get closer to the egg and improving chances of conception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen sperm<\/a> refers to a semen sample that has been cryopreserved for future use with liquid nitrogen and thawed before being placed in the uterus. \u201cFresh\u201d sperm refers to a semen sample that has not been frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the new study, researchers found similar clinical pregnancy rates between those using fresh and frozen sperm samples. The primary difference researchers noted was that time-to-pregnancy was slightly longer in the frozen sperm group than in the fresh. Additionally, the study found that frozen sperm carried no extra risk of miscarriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers concluded that \u201cpatients should be counseled about the non-inferiority of frozen sperm,\u201d because \u201cno detrimental effect of sperm cryopreservation on IUI outcomes was noted\u201d in the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What previous research says about fresh vs. frozen sperm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite widespread use, many patients worry that cryopreservation may reduce the viability of frozen sperm cells or affect their sperm quality<\/a>. It is<\/em> true that there will be a small decrease in sperm quality during the freezing and thawing process, because of osmotic and oxidative stress. However, it\u2019s important to note that most semen samples contain an abundance of sperm, and a small decrease does not significantly affect clinical outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings of Dr. Cherouveim and his colleagues stand to revise older research that found frozen sperm to be less effective. In a 1992 study<\/a>, researchers found that success rates after IUI were greater with fresh sperm compared to frozen (21.2% vs. 15.8%). However, the study only analyzed 198 cycles compared to the 5,335 cycles used in the Cherouveim study. It\u2019s also safe to assume that there have been advances in sperm freezing techniques since 1992, making the 2022 study more relevant in terms of the technology now available.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study from 2019<\/a> found that, while frozen\/thawed sperm may have a slight decrease in viability and motility depending on time in storage, clinical outcomes remained unaffected by how long sperm was frozen. The results of that study were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n